Innovation

This innovation, launched in 2015, tackles rural decay and social isolation simultaneously. Founder Mitsuyoshi Ogawa and his wife Eiko actively recruits and employs marginalized populations, including local elderly residents, women, and people facing social withdrawal(hikikomori)or disabilities. This fulfills a key social mission linked to SDG 10(Reduced Inequalities). Instead of traditional employment, the farm functions as a form of occupational therapy. Eiko, a “Inochi no Denwa”(suicide hotline) counselor, uses her network to invite participants, providing them with transport and hands-on training. This supportive, communal environment where participants regain self-worth directly contributes to SDG 3(Good Health and Well-being).

Environmentally, the innovation addresses SDG 12(Responsible Consumption and Production) in two ways. First, the farm limits chemical fertilizers, relying on compost to restore the soil. Secondly, it tackles food waste by “rescuing” produce with harmless blemishes (a result of low pesticide use). Rather than discarding this fruit, they sell it at a discount with a clear sticker explaining why it looks different, educating consumers that quality is not skin deep.The entire system is enabled by SDG 17(Partnerships), relying on a trusted salt supplier for its core product and building relationships with local government(the Yame City mayor) to promote its mission.

Inspiration

After retiring from his job as a town mayor in Kurogi, Japan, Mitsuyoshi Ogawa saw the land where locals used to grow crops was falling into desolation. Then he noticed that many elderly people were just playing without a clear role in the village, and thought that he could make effective use of both the land and the people by leveraging his knowledge and the connections he had built as mayor. 

His wife, Eiko Ogawa also deeped this vision. She works as a volunteer counselor for “Inochi no Denwa”(a suicide prevention hotline), which brought a unique social purpose to the project. She uses her network to invite people facing not only physical disabilities but also psychological illnesses, such as social withdrawal (hikikomori) or school non-attendance, to the farm.This is not just labor, but it is a form of occupational therapy. As one participant shared, hearing a customer say the umeboshi (pickled plum) they made was delicious gave them a sense of self-worth and a feeling that they are a member of society.

Mitsuyoshi said that through this work,he “feels a sense of purpose”, and “the feeling of being useful to society”, a passion that continues to drive their innovation.

Overall impact

The project connects closely with market demand and guarantees the main income.

This project confronts one of the biggest problems that urban consumers are suffering from nowadays: it is very hard for them to get their hands on high-quality, natural agricultural products. The project sources top-quality farm products, including prunes, mandarin oranges, grapefruits, and peppers from a faraway rural area and aims to deliver them to the high-demand urban market more than 1000 kilometers away from the supply area.

The purchasing power of the Tokyo market and its fixed demand for "ecologically-sound food" creates a steady sales link for these products; Even if there are high costs arising from long-distance transportation and labor costs, the project can still make a revenue closed loop, as the product has a stable and high demand and can be sold at a high price.

This project confronts social problems, including the aging problem, difficulty in employment of women, and difficulty in employment of the disabled/socially isolated people (including hibernating people, etc). The project creates jobs for the elderly, women, and the disabled and directly raises their incomes and living quality.

And it also helps the socially isolated people rebuild their self-confidence by "hands-on occupational therapy". For example, by hearing the consumers praising the umeboshi they made, the hibernating people regained their confidence and felt they belonged to the social world. Later, they were no longer passively isolated but actively participated in this project.

Business benefit

The project is to solve social problems through business. Though these “social benefits” may not be seen in their cash profits, they can feed back to the long-term of their project (such as policy, brand).

Distribution ratio： Operator（Ogawa family）takes only 20% of the income, the remaining 80% goes to the producers （like local farmers）and workers（mostly women, elderly, people with disabilities）.

This model overcomes the shortcoming of traditional business “profit for a few” and gives participants, especially the disadvantaged groups, direct economic benefits（increase income）, which enhances their motivation to participate in the long term, and then the source of workers and raw materials of the production will be guaranteed. The whole flow will be sustained over time, forming a good circle: “economic incentives→ continuous participation→ supply chain stability→ revenue guarantee”.

In addition, it’s a good solution to global aging. This project is powerfully led by the elderly. It converts the old people from passive recipients of care into active promoters of local revitalization. When the whole world is getting older, this project is an excellent example that an aging population is not a burden, but a core resource for sustainable local development.

Social and environmental benefit

Their social mission is hands-on and practical. With Eiko Ogawa’s contacts from the “Inochi no Denwa” support hotline, they invite people who’ve felt sidelined,those with disabilities, school non-attendance, or social withdrawal (hikikomori). But also elderly people who are lacking a purpose in society are welcomed at the farm. They pick participants up from Fukuoka Airport, teach by doing, and let the simple therapy of shared work rebuild confidence. One participant who made umeboshi(pickled plums) in summer returned in winter to craft yuzu pepper because he was hearing Tokyo customers praise “their” pickles. This sparked a strong sense of self-worth and a feeling of belonging:(SDGs 3, 4, 10). 

For responsible consumption (SDG 12), they limit chemical fertilizers, lean on compost, and “rescue” fruit with harmless blemishes. Instead of waste, those plums get a candid sticker explaining the look and a discount so consumers learn that beauty isn’t the same as quality. The result: growing demand, frequent sellouts in Tokyo, and a deeper public appreciation for natural food. 

Partnerships anchor everything (SDG 17): a trusted, long-term salt supplier shapes the signature flavor of their plums: Additionally the new Yame mayor visited their Tokyo booth and granted use of the official city banner. This is symbolic oxygen for a rural project proving that inclusion, quality, and honest storytelling can move markets.  

Interview

Mitsuyoshi Ogawa, Founder